It is frequently convenient to consume beverages while an occupant in a vehicle. The ability to set the beverage container upon a stable support or in a receptacle is desirable, and particularly useful for the driver who may require the use of both hands.
Beverage container holding assemblies for this purpose are well known in the prior art and are mounted in such diverse locations as adjacent the dash board, the vehicle door, the floor board, and upon the passenger seat. However, it has been found particularly appealing to locate the beverage container holding assembly inside a compartment of vehicle armrest disposed between the driver and passenger seating portions in the vehicle.
For example, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,417,764 to Marcus et al, issued Nov. 29, 1983 and 4,783,037 to Flowerday, issued Nov. 8, 1988 each disclose beverage container holding assemblies which are slideably mounted in the end of a vehicle armrest for linear movement between a recessed storage condition and an extended operational position. Conversely, the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,733,908 to Dykstra et al, issued Mar. 29, 1988 and 4,792,184 to Lindberg et al, issued Dec. 20, 1988, both disclose beverage container holding assemblies which are pivotally mounted to a vehicle armrest for arcuate movement between a storage position in the armrest and an operational position outside the armrest.
The Flowerday teachings are most advantageous in that two pivoted arms are provided for supporting the girth of the beverage container, which arms expand upon sliding movement of the assembly out of the armrest and contract to a narrower storage width upon sliding movement of the assembly into the armrest compartment. However, it has been found much more desirable to secure the beverage holding assembly for pivotal movement into and out of the armrest compartment as in the Dykstra and Lindberg assemblies, instead of the Flowerday sliding movement.
The beverage holding assembly of the Dykstra assembly reference is deficient in that the two semi-circular arms must be manually folded and unfolded in order to establish the beverage receptacle area and to collapse the beverage receptacle area before storing the assembly compactly in the armrest compartment.